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Women got the vote because they fought for it. The end of segregation happened when enough Black people refused to be treated as second class citizens (at one time they weren't even citizens) and enough White people supported their cause. In the same way, history is full of oppressed people who have overthrown cruel dictatorships and demanded a regime in which their voices were heard. But what about those who can't speak for themselves animals and children?

Over the last century, laws have increased that protect children. It is illegal to abuse children. It is illegal to make them work in factories before they are adults. It is illegal to keep them from having food or shelter and in some cases we are wrestling with whether or not it is illegal to prevent them from having medical care and education.

Now, it's the animals' turn. Animals can't claim any rights; they only have the rights we grant them. People own animals. They are considered their personal property whether it is a steer being raised for beef or a dog being used for companionship. While a century ago, people might have known that farmer so and so didn't much care how he killed his animals or Mister X had been seen kicking his dog, not very much was done about it. The media has brought it to our attention through investigative reporting that cruelties abound in the animal world. Not a day goes by without a story about a puppy mill or a movie star in a fur coat being splashed with red paint (or blood) or animals dying on the way to slaughter. It's enough to make you sick, but it's also enough to make you think.

It's not just the animals in need who make the news. Sometimes, stories about the "other side" are even more eye-catching... In the Northwest where I live, loggers boycotted a well-known burger chain several years ago. The reason? Because the chain used Paul Newman salad dressing on the buns and Paul Newman supported the Spotted Owl. Protection of the Spotted Owl cost many loggers their jobs. Ridiculous? What about entire developments axed because some threatened species of worm lives in a marsh at the edge? Does a species have the RIGHT to survive? Or is it part of evolution that some species die out and others take their places?

The media brings us stories that sell newspapers and television time. They bring us stories that shock so that they can sell advertising. But behind those stories are people who feel strongly about the rights of animals. The media also brings us stories of campaigns

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